A five-member US congressional delegation led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast met the 14th Dalai Lama at his residence in McLeodganj near Dharamshala on Tuesday. The delegation discussed Tibet, freedom and China, with Mast alleging that Beijing’s policies toward Tibetans extend beyond China’s borders and expressing support for the Tibetan community.

Mast said China was among the key issues discussed during the meeting and described the delegation’s visit as an expression of US support for freedom and the rights of Tibetans. He also said the delegation expected China to respond to the visit, while alleging that Beijing uses surveillance and other measures in different countries to monitor and suppress people. The claims were made by Mast during an interaction with the media after the meeting.

The US lawmaker also raised concerns over the succession of the Dalai Lama, alleging that China could attempt to nominate its own candidate. Mast referred to previous cases involving Tibetan religious figures and said Beijing could seek to influence the process surrounding the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation. The question of the Dalai Lama’s succession has been a longstanding point of disagreement between the Tibetan leadership and the Chinese government.

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The delegation included Representatives James Gallagher, Jimmy Patronis, Haley Stevens and Shri Thanedar, with five of the 10 members of the congressional delegation travelling for the visit. Mast said the United States and China represented different approaches on issues including freedom, democracy and individual rights. He also maintained that dialogue between US and Chinese leaders remained important, referring to the recent meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The delegation also discussed legislation concerning Tibet, including the bipartisan Assuring the Future of Tibet Act introduced in the US House of Representatives. Gallagher said the House wanted to continue dialogue and support freedom, while Stevens said the US would continue to remember the history and concerns of Tibetans. The lawmakers also responded to questions about a recent self-immolation by a Tibetan in the United States, with Mast saying Tibetans had demonstrated their commitment to freedom in different ways.

The visit follows a similar bipartisan US congressional mission to McLeodganj in June 2024, when a delegation including then-House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and then-House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul met the Dalai Lama. The latest visit comes amid continuing differences between Washington and Beijing over Tibet and other human-rights issues. Chinese authorities have consistently rejected allegations of repression and maintain their own position on Tibet-related matters.

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